Bai Jiu was already considered a familiar face to An Gongju.
The Bai Family’s affairs back then had also been handled by the Public Security Bureau. Thus, right after the village chief finished speaking, someone immediately came over to take Bai Jiu and the mother-and-son pair of the Gao family away.
When the presiding officers saw Bai Jiu, they all took a deep breath. She was not someone they could afford to offend.
They didn’t hide their reactions, and Bai Jiu took it all in. Her mouth twitched. Was she really that scary?
Fortunately, they worked fast. Not long after the situation was clarified, the same superior from before entered the room where Bai Jiu was held.
"What kind of outcome do you want?" he asked. The attempted murder was undeniable, but the sentencing could range from light to severe, especially since it was a transitional period.
He had heard about her relationship with the mother and son, so he had come over to ask for her thoughts. Based on past rulings, it would definitely be a capital offense. But if the victim relented, the punishment wouldn’t need to be so severe.
"Sir, do you really think I’d forgive them?" Bai Jiu was getting annoyed. This superior only cared about his own career and wanted to avoid any trouble. But was this something that could be excused just to keep the peace?
Seeing the mockery on her face, the superior knew he had lost all authority in her eyes.
"So you refuse to forgive them," the superior said, his head pounding with a brewing headache. "But have you thought about the fact that they are your husband’s relatives? One is his mother, and the other is his second older brother."
It was true that she was the widow, but those two were also his family. Making a huge scene out of this would do her deceased husband no good.
"Have you considered the consequences? If you make a fuss, a record will definitely be filed on your husband’s end. When that happens, your subsidies might be in jeopardy." He wasn’t threatening her; he was merely stating the facts.
Bai Jiu knew exactly what he meant. She had thought about it long ago. She was the type of person who would tolerate a lot of things, but she absolutely refused to be taken advantage of. Others were trying to take her life; she wasn’t magnanimous enough to forgive them.
She didn’t care what Gao Zhijun would think. After all, he was ninety percent likely dead, and since when did the dead get a say in how the living lived?
"If they’re gone, they’re gone. I’d rather endure hardship than allow people like that to stay by my side," Bai Jiu retorted bluntly.
The superior finally understood. She wanted the lives of those two.
After the superior left, only Bai Jiu and a female officer remained in the room. She looked at Bai Jiu with great sympathy.
"It’ll be a while before things wrap up here. Why didn’t you change clothes before coming? Wait a moment, I’ll go get you a set of my old clothes." She was a mother herself, so seeing Bai Jiu in such a state inevitably stirred her maternal instincts.
"Thank you, Sister Honglian." Bai Jiu was indeed feeling a bit cold.
The cotton-padded jacket Aunt Peng had given her was slightly wet. Now that her adrenaline had completely faded, she was shivering uncontrollably from the cold, and even her lips were turning blue.
"Could you have someone take a message to my maiden home and ask my eldest brother to come over?" She felt like she was about to collapse. She knew her own body best.
Yin Honglian, who was just getting up to leave the room, replied, "Alright, I’ll have Li go over."
Because a murder case was involved, everyone had been detained by the police. Even Bai Jiu was no exception. Of course, as the victim, she would be released once the facts were cleared up. But that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
Just as Bai Jiu changed into the dry clothes and came out to sign the paperwork, Bai Xingguo ran in, panting heavily.
"Little Sister! Little Sister!" he shouted loudly the moment he entered the lobby.
Hearing the familiar voice, Bai Jiu immediately looked toward the sound. Seeing her eldest brother arrive, her tense nerves finally relaxed.
"Brother, I’m over here."
Hearing her voice and spotting her, Bai Xingguo immediately sprinted over.
"How are you? Are you okay?" Hearing that someone had tried to murder his sister, Bai Xingguo had hurriedly biked over, not even taking the time to ask for leave from work. If it weren’t for the police officer following behind him, his boss would have probably chewed him out for being so arrogant.
"Why are you so pale? Come on, let’s go to the hospital." Upon getting closer, Bai Xingguo saw that his sister’s face was deathly pale and her lips were turning blue.
When had his little sister ever suffered so much?
"Brother, there’s no rush." Bai Jiu felt the warning signs her body was giving off; she was actually on the verge of collapsing. But she was afraid that someone might tamper with the case, so she had been holding on, waiting for her family to arrive.
"Brother, listen to me."
Bai Jiu slowly voiced her demands to him. "I will not forgive them. No matter who comes to plead for mercy, my stance remains the same. This is the evidence; keep it safe. Not only did they try to murder me, but they also engaged in feudal superstition. Brother, remember, no matter who comes, do not forgive them."
The earlier interaction with that superior had made Bai Jiu vigilant. That was why she kept repeating this instruction.
"Okay, I’ll take you to the hospital right away. Don’t be afraid, I’m here now." Seeing his little sister in this state, Bai Xingguo’s eyes turned red. It was their family that had harmed her. If they had known it would turn out like this, they never should have...
"Brother, remember," Bai Jiu said, before collapsing against Bai Xingguo’s chest.
This terrified everyone surrounding Bai Jiu. Fortunately, Bai Xingguo was there to act as the pillar of support.
Aunt Li had originally wanted to offer Bai Jiu a few words of advice, but seeing her faint, she didn’t dare open her mouth. She had only come because her husband had asked her to try and persuade Bai Jiu. They were all one family, after all; there was no need for it to end in someone’s death.
But looking at the situation now, she was afraid that...
Sigh, why couldn’t people just live their lives in peace? At that moment, Aunt Li utterly despised Song Caihua and Gao Zhiguo.
Bai Xingguo couldn’t care less about anything else. He picked up his little sister, carried her straight out of the Public Security Bureau, and rushed to the hospital.
Aunt Peng watched the siblings’ retreating backs, crying and cursing, "It’s a sin! Such a sin!"
The commotion on Bai Jiu’s end also startled the people who had come with her. No one dared to voice any further opinions; they all fell completely silent.
On the police’s side, Bai Jiu’s evidence was solid. Combined with the villagers’ testimonies, there was nothing more to discuss. Song Caihua and Gao Zhiguo were taken directly into custody.
The village chief and the production brigade captain felt helpless. There was no way for them to bail the culprits out. They could only pray that Bai Jiu would let the Gao family off the hook.
But was that even possible?
The village chief took the rest of the people back on a tractor, while the brigade captain stayed behind. He went to the hospital with his wife and Aunt Peng.
Bai Jiu had a high fever and was suffering from convulsions. Her condition was extremely severe, and the doctors were administering emergency treatment. When the trio arrived, they happened to run into Bai Xingguo paying the medical bills.
Aunt Peng nervously stepped forward and asked, "Bai family’s eldest brother, how is Jiu’er?"
Hearing the newcomer call his little sister by her nickname, Bai Xingguo knew that this person must be close to her.
"Hello, Auntie. My sister’s condition isn’t good." Bai Xingguo wished he could go and kill that mother and son right then and there.
"How did it come to this? How did it come to this? Why is her life so bitter?!" Aunt Peng thought Bai Jiu wasn’t going to make it. She slapped her thighs, crying and wailing.
Bai Xingguo hurriedly supported her. "Auntie, please don’t cry. The doctors are doing everything they can. She’ll be fine," he comforted, though his words would have been more convincing if his voice hadn’t been choked with sobs.
The brigade captain and his wife exchanged a glance. Well, so much for trying to persuade them.
Fortunately, the hospital had just received a fresh batch of supplies, so there was medicine available to treat Bai Jiu.
An hour later, Bai Jiu was transferred to a regular ward.
Looking at the figure lying on the bed with an IV drip, the brigade captain gave up on any lingering thoughts of pleading for leniency. Aunt Peng was no fool; she knew exactly what the brigade captain had come here to do.